1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the handling of biohazardous waste material and more particularly to disposable containers for the handling of biohazardous waste material.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In any medical facility, the disposal of contaminated syringes and other medical devices is a problem of great concern. The interest of protecting the general populace from the spreading of certain virulent diseases requires that contaminated medical devices be disposed of in a manner which will eliminate the possibility that the community will be exposed to any such diseases. An additional interest involves preventing those engaged in the illegal drug business from recovering used syringes for illicit purposes. Thus, there are two concerns in any disposal procedure, i.e., the clinical concern for limiting unwanted contamination and spread of disease and the concern over unauthorized use of medical devices.
Apparatus and techniques exist for the disposal of contaminated syringes and other medical equipment. One such device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,662,516 wherein a wall unit is provided for receiving, through a convolved opening, medical debris. The medical debris is collected within a thermoplastic liner which is periodically removed from the unit and heated in the course of sterilization to melt the top and bottom surfaces of the liner around the debris. This device requires that the thermoplastic liner containing the medical debris be subjected to the sterilization process prior to disposal by incineration or by other means. It is desirable, however, from the standpoint of efficiency, to employ a method of disposing of contaminated medical equipment which does not require sterilization prior to disposal.
It is apparent, therefore, that the need exists for a device which may be used to effectively dispose of contaminated medical equipment without sterilization in such a way as to contain any virulent diseases and at the same time to destroy the functional capabilities of the medical equipment.